as in to backfire
to have the reverse of the desired or expected effect
the well-meaning gesture boomeranged, since he ended up being offended by it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for boomerang
Verb
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The system has served Illinois consumers reasonably well over the decades, and hard-line regulatory approaches have been shown to backfire in other parts of the country, most notably California.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025 -
Additionally, any serious attempt to destroy Yemeni Khat production could ultimately backfire.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Verb
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When stress hit, the house of cards collapsed, and failures cascaded like dominoes, wiping out billions in customer funds.—
Roomy Khan,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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That’s how a building managed to go without a critical earthquake retrofit for more than a century before its brick walls collapsed in 2003.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Verb
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Some species will flop over when grown in rich soils.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 July 2025
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Staking helps protect tall or large-flowered dahlias from breakage and flopping over, especially after rain or strong wind.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Boomerang.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/boomerang. Accessed 17 Jul. 2025.
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